ASK THE COMMISSION: What happens when a fighter no-shows for an event?

Written by Matt Schowalter

Monday, 07 July 2014 14:09

(EDITOR'S NOTE: During the weekly "Ask the Commission" feature, Matt Schowalter or someone else from the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission will tackle your questions. If you have questions for the commission, send them to
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. Enjoy!)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FIGHTER NO-SHOWS OR MISSES WEIGHT FOR A FIGHT?

"I haven't had an opponent no-show on me yet, but it is a big fear of mine. That's the ultimate low of lows." -- Current Minnesota licensed amateur combatant

No-showing an event, or missing the weight you agreed to fight at, is something the Minnesota Office of Combative Sports takes very seriously. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make a a fight happen, so when someone shows up overweight, or doesn't show up at all, it costs people a lot of time and money.

For these reasons, we have the following policy for fighters who miss weight or no-show an event:

* First offense -- Written warning. (The written warning is also noted on the fighter's national record, so that every regulatory body is aware that the fighter had an issue.)

As you can see, someone who is a repeat offender can face extensive penalties that could affect their career. Being labeled as a person who consistently misses weight, or no-shows, could also result in that person being denied a license with other regulatory bodies.

Keep in mind that missing weight, or no-showing, also affects more people than just the regulatory body or yourself. Here's how a couple fighters feel about it:

"There is absolutely nothing more upsetting and frustrating than dealing with a no-show in MMA, especially if you both are each